Dad Faces First-Degree Assault Charges

OCEAN
PINES – An Ocean Pines man was arrested on first-degree assault and other
charges this week after allegedly beating his 8-year-old son with a belt for
telling a lie.

Last
Saturday, Ocean Pines Police were notified of an alleged child abuse patient in
the emergency room at Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin.

Ocean
Pines Police responded to the emergency room at Atlantic General and met with a
nurse the 8-year-old boy who had arrived at the hospital and appeared to have
been beaten with a belt. According to police reports, the child had multiple
strike marks on his right leg, buttocks and back.

After
being examined and treated by a doctor, the child’s injuries were photographed
by a SAFE nurse on staff. The officers also observed the child’s injuries after
meeting with the victim and his mother in the examination room.

After
interviewing the victim and his mother, it was determined the child had been
caught in a lie by his father, identified as Brian William Januska, 32, of
Ocean Pines, who allegedly became very upset and struck the child several times
with a belt.

According
to police reports, the victim’s mother did not know how many times the child
had been struck. Ocean Pines Police responded to the victim’s home and took
Januska to police headquarters for questioning. After being advised of his
rights, Januska admitted he hit the child with a belt, according to police
reports.

Januska
reportedly gave police oral and written statements claiming he had become angry
with the child for lying and that he did hit the child at least four times with
a belt. Based on the nature of the child’s injuries, the testimony of the
victim and his mother and the admission by the suspect, Januska was arrested
and charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault, first- and
second-degree child abuse and reckless endangerment for causing “a substantial
risk of death or serious injury,” according to charging documents.

The
Department of Social Services was called to the hospital and with the help of
an Ocean Pines Police officer escorted the victim and his mother back to their
home. Januska was taken into custody, and he remained in custody as of
mid-week.

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